ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the immobilization of cellular organelles, such as chloroplasts, mitochondria, microsomes, and peroxisomes with several examples of reconstituted models of these organelles. Chloroplast, the organelle of higher plants for photosynthesis, is well known as a unique photoconverter using water as a primary electron donor. Fixation of chloroplasts by an appropriate bifunctional reagent, especially by glutar-aldehyde, has been used to yield the immobilized and stabilized organelles not only for the basic study but also for practical purposes. The lifetime of the native chloroplasts was about 30 min, while that of the immobilized organelles was three times longer and the amount of carbon dioxide fixed by the immobilized organelles was two times larger than that by the native ones. Chloroplasts from Chinese mustard would be more resistant to the radicals than the organelles from spinach.
